Boat still taking on water

[1WetBoat]

I would also check the piece that covers the shaft where it meets the intermediate housing in the hatch. You cant see it from the engine compartment. This covers the driveshaft as it enters the tunnel via that plastic bushing (#13) and into the intermediate bearing housing. The clamps can come loose over time and leak only while underway.

 

[rad1026]

yeah, I have seen the other thread about replacing that set up and I will definitely look at that but it should be pretty obvious and I have stuck my head down there with the engines running several times. If it is leaking there its not gushing.

 

[3abadi]

I just had the same problem in my AR190. It took me a week of troubleshooting. I checked the cooling system, hoses clamps, hull openings everything. Finally, I found out it is the clean out port tube bottom area where the silicon started to open up. While running, launching and stopping, water floods the clean out ports and then drains into the bilge area.

The fix, simply reapply silicone. Problem solved and now back to normal amounts of water in the bilge area.

 

[Kofficer]

I just had the same problem in my AR190. It took me a week of troubleshooting. I checked the cooling system, hoses clamps, hull openings everything. Finally, I found out it is the clean out port tube bottom area where the silicon started to open up. While running, launching and stopping, water floods the clean out ports and then drains into the bilge area.

The fix, simply reapply silicone. Problem solved and now back to normal amounts of water in the bilge area.

Would you please expand on where you are referring to? At the bottom of the cleanout tube is the metal piece that the clean out plug sets in. Is there supposed to be silicone around that, because I can see a slight gap between the wall of the tube and that metal piece. Can water come around the plug there?

 

[maviles392]

It’s been a year. The problem still persists if not worse. Took the boat up to Eufaula Lake this weekend. First time on a lake. I’m sure the trailer and engines loved being in freshwater. Anyway took off up the lake. Tan about 10 miles and noticed no water pumping out of bilge. Stopped boat and opened large front wakeboard storage and it had several inches of water in it. Opened engine hatch and water was above the bottom of oil pans. Great bilge pump isn’t working in any modes and I’m sinking. To far away from ramp and boat takes on water when engines are running over 2000rpms. Water ingress increases with speed and rpm’s. Will explain later. Anyway only solution was to kill engines and jump into the water and pull the plug ?

 

[maviles392]

Pull the plug and get back on plane heading back 10 miles to the ramp. A boat on plane the water runs out the plug hole and it runs out quicker then the leak allows water in so by the time I’m close to the ramp the water is almost gone only about 20 gallons left in the lower bilge. Stop the boat, kill the engines. Jump back in and carefully replace plug without loosing it. Make it back to the ramp and the weekend on the boat is over after 1 1/2 hours ?. Will explain where leak is at in a little while, dinner is ready.

 

[ToddW850]

Dang! Can't wait to hear where your leak is.

 

[3 green tornados]

Man, where is the leak?

 

[3abadi]

Would you please expand on where you are referring to? At the bottom of the cleanout tube is the metal piece that the clean out plug sets in. Is there supposed to be silicone around that, because I can see a slight gap between the wall of the tube and that metal piece. Can water come around the plug there?

Looking at the picture here, if you have loose metal bands (items No. 10) combined with missing silicone at the bottom of the tube (item No. 9), water will fill the tube while on plane and leak into the bilge area. If you have the ski locker plug missing or no plug at all, excess water will also get into and fill the ski locker.

I suggest installing a GoPro or similar inside the bilge area and engine compartment with some LED lighting, you will be able to rule out at least leaks related to cooling water tubes and clean out port tube.

 

[3abadi]

It’s been a year. The problem still persists if not worse. Took the boat up to Eufaula Lake this weekend. First time on a lake. I’m sure the trailer and engines loved being in freshwater. Anyway took off up the lake. Tan about 10 miles and noticed no water pumping out of bilge. Stopped boat and opened large front wakeboard storage and it had several inches of water in it. Opened engine hatch and water was above the bottom of oil pans. Great bilge pump isn’t working in any modes and I’m sinking. To far away from ramp and boat takes on water when engines are running over 2000rpms. Water ingress increases with speed and rpm’s. Will explain later. Anyway only solution was to kill engines and jump into the water and pull the plug ?

Yayks. ?

I would be interested to know what went wrong. I am suspecting a cooling water tube; since it gets worse with RPM. ??‍

 

[maviles392]

Ok this is going to be a long explanation. Next time I go out I’ll try and get a video.

About 5 months ago I took the rear plate off where the clean out ports are located. Disconnect 2 large clamps, 1 small clamp and a dozen or so bolts. Removed the entire plate. Took the boat out and with my daughter at the helm I sat on the swim platform and held the kill switches down. Started at idle and no signs of water anywhere. Slowly progress with rpm’s 2,000/3,000/4,000rpms no sign of water except now it’s pushing up the tubes slowly so I had to quit the test. But still no water anywhere. Went back home and pulled the big tubes, cleaned every thing and applied marine silicon and installed new clamps top and bottom of tubes. Installed the large hatch again using marine silicon and extra bolts so hatch is sealed. Later I also installed the riser at the inspection hatch which didn’t seem to help anything. Took the boat out a few days later and same thing as before with daughter at the helm and me sitting on swim platform. Same deal run from idle up through about 4,000rpms and no sign of water. Around 5,000 rpm’s and right at the base of both tubes I have water coming out but it’s under pressure so not sure if it’s coming from seal and clamp even though tight isn’t stopping it or it’s coming from somewhere else. Not sure how all these parts are together in this boat. Anyway I pulled everything again, resealed it and bought some heavy duty t-bolt clamps. Tightened these down so hard the clean out plugs were harder to get out. Water still came in. Threw up my hands and been using the boat all the time like this with no real issues because the bilge pump always worked and kept ahead of the water coming in. Have put 40 hours on the boat with no problems. Took it to Marathon key for a week, no issues now fast forward to this weekend and boat almost sinks because bilge pump quit working. Anyways what I’ve seen is tubes don’t seat very well at the base. There is old silicone there and some gray stuff that looks like epoxy. I thought the epoxy was from part of the manufacturing process but now I’m thinking it’s from previous owner trying to fix this issue. Wonder if there’s a crack here. Can’t see anything from underneath. I’m thinking of pulling one of the impeller housing out just to see what I can see. Is this hard to do. Anyway I will be working on it this week. I’ll throw some pics in here.

P.S. The water is not coming from the engines anywhere. I just recently replaced every rusted out clamp I could find about 25 of them and so I double check all those areas all the time because I was paranoid one or more would leak.

 

[3abadi]

Ok this is going to be a long explanation. Next time I go out I’ll try and get a video.

About 5 months ago I took the rear plate off where the clean out ports are located. Disconnect 2 large clamps, 1 small clamp and a dozen or so bolts. Removed the entire plate. Took the boat out and with my daughter at the helm I sat on the swim platform and held the kill switches down. Started at idle and no signs of water anywhere. Slowly progress with rpm’s 2,000/3,000/4,000rpms no sign of water except now it’s pushing up the tubes slowly so I had to quit the test. But still no water anywhere. Went back home and pulled the big tubes, cleaned every thing and applied marine silicon and installed new clamps top and bottom of tubes. Installed the large hatch again using marine silicon and extra bolts so hatch is sealed. Later I also installed the riser at the inspection hatch which didn’t seem to help anything. Took the boat out a few days later and same thing as before with daughter at the helm and me sitting on swim platform. Same deal run from idle up through about 4,000rpms and no sign of water. Around 5,000 rpm’s and right at the base of both tubes I have water coming out but it’s under pressure so not sure if it’s coming from seal and clamp even though tight isn’t stopping it or it’s coming from somewhere else. Not sure how all these parts are together in this boat. Anyway I pulled everything again, resealed it and bought some heavy duty t-bolt clamps. Tightened these down so hard the clean out plugs were harder to get out. Water still came in. Threw up my hands and been using the boat all the time like this with no real issues because the bilge pump always worked and kept ahead of the water coming in. Have put 40 hours on the boat with no problems. Took it to Marathon key for a week, no issues now fast forward to this weekend and boat almost sinks because bilge pump quit working. Anyways what I’ve seen is tubes don’t seat very well at the base. There is old silicone there and some gray stuff that looks like epoxy. I thought the epoxy was from part of the manufacturing process but now I’m thinking it’s from previous owner trying to fix this issue. Wonder if there’s a crack here. Can’t see anything from underneath. I’m thinking of pulling one of the impeller housing out just to see what I can see. Is this hard to do. Anyway I will be working on it this week. I’ll throw some pics in here.

P.S. The water is not coming from the engines anywhere. I just recently replaced every rusted out clamp I could find about 25 of them and so I double check all those areas all the time because I was paranoid one or more would leak.

May be something to try, with the clean out port plug in place, fill in the tube with a garden hose, the water should stay. If it leaks into the bilge, reseal the tube bottom With silicone. If the water leaks through the clean out port outside the boat, change the plug or fix it if fixable.

 

[Cambo]

Couple of things to check

Grab the scupper drain and pull on it it up and down motion it could be cracked they are known to cause issues as they age

when you removed the tray there is a drain hose it pops off very easy at the spot were it connects to the hull put a cork in the through hole fitting to eliminate that out of the problems.

The large hoses clamp onto aluminum for the clean out ports could your clamps be in the wrong location if they are to high its not a complete circular sealing area. this just does not seem like it would let in enough water to create problems. My clean out plugs typically have water on top of them its only gravity pressure and at most should only be minimal amounts getting past.

Check the silicone were that aluminum part meets the hull it could have fallen out. I reached in with the clean out plug removed and could feel silicon, you may have to pull the impeller to get good access to that area to clean up and re bead the silicone.

And get a water alarm along with anyone else reading this. I cant believe this is not a mandatory insurance item that all boats should have. Zip tie the sensor a few inches above the bilge pump pick up. You can hear the alarm in the engine compartment with the engines running I'm still on the first of three

Amazon.com

 

[Steve73]

Do you always have full cylinder of water on top your cleanout plugs after cruising around for a while? Do you seem to get more water when at higher RPMs for longer periods of time? If so, I think you have the issue I have been dealing with.

Water slips by the cleanout plug rubber seal, fills up the cylinder, then fills up the tray table and rains water into the transom, because that tray table is not sealed very well. I drop in dry, I run the boat for an hour to an hour and half ride and I pump out about 5 gallons of water.

The fix? I ordered a new plug rebuild kit. It includes new seal and bottom part of the plug. I debated just ordering a whole new plug, but I'm pretty sure its the rubber seal, so figured I'd go with the $70 rebuild kit instead of $130 new plug.

Did it work? TBD. I haven't been out to test it yet. I will know after labor day weekend.

 

[Steve73]

oh also - plug your locker. This will keep the water in the transom and bilge area and you will pump it out.

 

[maviles392]

Do you always have full cylinder of water on top your cleanout plugs after cruising around for a while? Do you seem to get more water when at higher RPMs for longer periods of time? If so, I think you have the issue I have been dealing with.

Water slips by the cleanout plug rubber seal, fills up the cylinder, then fills up the tray table and rains water into the transom, because that tray table is not sealed very well. I drop in dry, I run the boat for an hour to an hour and half ride and I pump out about 5 gallons of water.

The fix? I ordered a new plug rebuild kit. It includes new seal and bottom part of the plug. I debated just ordering a whole new plug, but I'm pretty sure its the rubber seal, so figured I'd go with the $70 rebuild kit instead of $130 new plug.

Did it work? TBD. I haven't been out to test it yet. I will know after labor day weekend.

Yes the tubes are always full of water. The large maintenance tray is sealed. I drilled several more bolt holes last year and installed 25 through bolts with fender washers and nylon nuts and sealed it with marine silicone and added the riser for additional space so water could drain out drain tube which is connected properly with a new clamp. I also sealed the small maintenance hatch in place and put 4 screws in it to hold it down and sealed so no water gets in there in case water level got above the riser height.

I have also checked the large scupper. That was actually the first thing I checked last year and I continue to keep an eye on it, it’s fine with no breaks or cracks.

 

[maviles392]

Forgot. Yes I bought the rebuild kits for the plugs last year and rebuilt them. No change. The plugs themselves looked fairly new with no obvious wear or tear so I didn’t replace those.

 

[Steve73]

Do you have a gopro and some battery powered camping lights you can stick in the transom? That's what I did to give me eyes on how the water was getting in.

 

[tdonoughue]

You can also use baby powder. Sprinkle some around and check every so often. It will show a trail from where the water is coming in...

 

[3abadi]

One last suggested check from my side, when you have water filling the area, is it hot or cold? If it is hot, this is a cooling water and you need to check the tubes and heat exchanger. If it is cold, it is coming from a through hull fixture or from the hatch as all others explained.